June 30, 2012
Twenty-three years ago, by the grace of God, Maudine and I founded World English Institute as a church-related non-profit educational institution based in Oregon and sponsored by the Metro Church of Christ in Gresham. Our aim was to attract correspondence students by teaching English and to lead them to Christ by teaching the Bible. Since that auspicious day in1989, God has blessed WEI with students from every nation on earth except the Vatican. To Him be the glory.
On June 30, eight days after I celebrated my 81st birthday, I stepped down as President of WEI and gave the reins to Tom Langley, a well-qualified younger man. Tom and I will continue doing what we have been doing, except Tom will be the front man from now on.
Tom has been preparing for this transition for eight and a half years, and he is ready for the challenge. Tom and his wife, Angela, served as missionaries in Romania for ten years after the fall of the Iron Curtain. They have two daughters, Brianna (18), and Bianca (15). Both daughters have been home-schooled throughout their school years. Brianna is scheduled to enroll in David Lipscomb University this fall. The Langleys are sponsored and supported by the Church of Christ in Maryville, Tennessee, and they reside in Louisville, TN in the foothills of the Great Smokey Mountains.
Tom writes, “Angela and I first started using the WEI materials twenty years ago in 1992 while serving as missionaries in Bucharest, Romania. We were so impressed with the curriculum that WEI became our primary tool for contacting and studying the Bible with Romanian students. We’ve personally studied with hundreds of WEI students through the years. Scores have put Christ on in baptism. We have a burning passion for this ministry and for the powerful influence it has in the lives of students all over the world.
It’s an honor and privilege to assume a leadership position in the WEI international mission ministry. In the past ten years, WEI has grown exponentially. We are now starting over 1,000 new correspondence Bible studies per month, with students in every nation of the world. The present is beyond exciting, and the future holds many challenges. The potential for WEI to reach the lost of the world is unlimited. It is our fervent prayer and desire within a few years to begin 10,000 new Bible studies per month. There is much to do in order to realize this goal, but it is a challenge, opportunity, and responsibility that we simply cannot turn away from. We have the greatest of all commissions to motivate and inspire us as we move forward. To God be the glory!”
I thank God for Tom Langley, and we welcome him to his new role as President. At the same time, I want to assure you that I am NOT retiring. The Gresham office will still be the corporate headquarters. We will still be responsible for recruiting postal teachers and assigning students to them. I will continue to write books and send them to Bob and Jonathan Towell for installation on the WEI teaching web site. These books will be printed and warehoused in Oregon, and the Gresham secretaries will mail them to teachers, missionaries, and national preachers who are using them in their outreach ministries. I will also continue to participate in short-term mission campaigns. I will also continue to write and edit this quarterly newsletter, and the Gresham team will mail each issue to nearly 8,000 churches and individuals.
The financial needs in the Gresham and Maryville offices will continue to grow as God gives us greater opportunities to share the good news about Jesus with people throughout the world. Please join us in responding to the Great Commission. —Dick Ady
